Stewarding well: Making waves in Westminster

These last few weeks, I’ve been talking poop. Even more than usual! As Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesman, I’ve been scrutinising the Water Bill, which involved much discussion of sewage outflows!

I’ve followed the bill through the Second Reading debate before Christmas, five meetings of the committee which discussed the bill line by line, and back to the Commons for Report and Third Reading. It now goes back to the Lords, where it began, and will ‘ping pong’ between the two Houses until they agree, before the King gives Royal Assent and it becomes an Act of Parliament.

The nuts and bolts of legislation receives scant attention compared to set-piece Commons debates like Prime Minister’s Questions. But passing good law is a key part of an MP’s role, and as a Christian, an important way to serve God and my neighbour.

As an opposition spokesperson, my role in scrutinising the bill is constructive but seeking to hold the government to account for failings or oversights, and suggesting amendments that I believe would improve it.

This is the government’s first attempt at dealing with an issue that became a hot potato during the general election.

I spent much of last year’s election campaign next to, on, or up to my neck in, various bodies of water. I had fun falling into Windermere with my party leader Ed Davey, which helped us to make the point that water matters; that our lakes, rivers and coastal areas should be better stewarded and protected. As MP for most of the English Lake District, it’s almost compulsory for me to be concerned about this!

Why has water become such a big issue? The UK’s departure from the EU required our government to take responsibility for water regulation. And so the bonnet was lifted on the water industry, and people were rightly outraged.

Firstly, for environmental reasons: raw sewage causes havoc for habitats and fragile ecosystems in waterways all over this country.

Secondly, financially. Since privatisation 35 years ago, the water industry has become a wild west of undeserved bonuses and dividends, racking up incredible levels of debt – but very little actual infrastructure investment. Thames Water paid £7.2billion in dividends since 1990, but also amassed £14billion of debt, which they propose to pay for by raising customers’ bills.

For many, this is about basic justice. Businesses and investors shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this while the consumer picks up the bill.

Meanwhile our pipes are creaking under the strain of an increasing population and a Victorian sewer system. It all has to go somewhere. And that somewhere is often the river you fish in, the lake you swim in, the beach you surf from!

So one of the big election issues has become a piece of legislation, full of detailed clauses and complex parliamentary language. 18 committee members debated the bill in detail. I put down 44 amendments, many urging the government towards a more ambitious vision of stewarding our waterways – ranging from huge structural changes to small practical ideas for sewage monitoring.

Here’s the catch though – not a single amendment was accepted by the government. As we fully expected. The government had a majority on the committee as it does in the Commons.

What’s the point of all that work then? Every speech we make is on the record and can make a public point that the government is against our good ideas. In this sense it’s a game, and we all know we are playing it.

But at a deeper level, constructive opposition ensures the government at least considers how we might do things better to care for something as precious, ancient and beautiful as the water that criss-crosses and surrounds our nation.

For me, being a Christian in politics is about engaging with the issues and the people in front of me and seeking to do with all my might whatever my hand finds to do. Politics is not normally glamorous, but through it we aim to steward, wisely and well, the world that God has created.

● Christian MPs and political figures contribute as believers not party politicians. en does not endorse any one particular party.